As the Lady Éowyn learned to abandon pride and instead follow her love, Faramir, she became used to build and nurture instead of destroy. Here I devote myself to all that grows us in strength, joy, clear thinking and godliness.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Option 3 (Preventing the Flu Thru Vitamin D)

So... Option 3. If you can avoid both the flu AND the vaccine, you won't get it, you won't pass it on to anybody, AND you won't expose your kids and yourself to toxins and possibly have to neglect your own responsibilities due to a flu-like-non-flu that feels like the flu even if you aren't contagious (or another strain of the flu). Naturally (haha punny), wash your hands and don't make out with people who are sick. :) STAY HOME if you get the flu! Have your kids wash their hands and learn to sneeze into their elbows instead of their hands. Cut back on sugar, which absolutely KILLS your immune system. Eat lots of immune system boosters, like garlic! And, my favorite: have you thought about Vitamin D? Here are some excerpts from the linked article by Dr. J.J. Cannell:

"Could vitamin D be the reason none of my patients got the flu? In the last several years, dozens of medical studies have called attention to worldwide vitamin D deficiency, especially among African Americans and the elderly, the two groups most likely to die from influenza. [...]

"We proposed that annual fluctuations in vitamin D levels explain the seasonality of influenza. The periodic seasonal fluctuations in 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels, which cause recurrent and predictable wintertime vitamin D deficiency, predispose human populations to influenza epidemics. We raised the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D deficiency in the same way that an unusual form of pneumonia (pneumocystis carinii) is a symptom of AIDS. That is, we theorized that George Bernard Shaw was right when he said, "the characteristic microbe of a disease might be a symptom instead of a cause."

[...] as vitamin D deficiency has repeatedly been associated with many of the diseases of civilization, we point out that it is not too early for physicians to aggressively diagnose and adequately treat vitamin D deficiency. We recommend that enough vitamin D be taken daily to maintain 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels at levels normally achieved through summertime sun exposure (50 ng/ml). For many persons, such as African Americans and the elderly, this will require up to 5,000 units daily in the winter and less, or none, in the summer, depending on summertime sun exposure.

Read this article by Dr. Miller, cardiovascular surgeon at University of Washington in Seattle, in which he describes its flu-preventative effect, as well as its overall benefits. A snippet:

Explanations for why flu epidemics occur in the winter when it is cold – people being indoors in close contact, drier air dehydrating mucus and preventing the body from expelling virus particles, the virus lingering longer on exposed surfaces, like doorknobs, with colder temperatures – do not explain why flu epidemics occur in the tropics.

Something that can explain why flu epidemics also occur both in warm and cold climates is this: During a flu epidemic, wherever it may be, the atmosphere blocks ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the Sun. In the temperate zones above latitude 35 degrees North and South, the sun is at a low enough angle in the winter that the ozone layer in the atmosphere absorbs and blocks the short-wavelength (280–315 nanometers) UVB rays. In the tropics during the wet season, thick rain clouds block UVB rays.

Skin contains a cholesterol derivative, 7-dehydrocholesterol. UVB radiation on skin breaks open one of the carbon rings in this molecule to form vitamin D.

Go on, read the article!! :) Here's a list of natural vitamin D sources (fish, egg yolk, liver, dairy products). The most potent seems to be unfiltered fermented cod liver oil, which my daughter loves, but I find disgusting...so I recommend the capsules or the gummies. Vitamin D is naturally present in the milk of grass-fed, pastured cows, and thus in pastured butter and cheese. However it is destroyed by pasteurization, which is why it is artificially added back in. Vitamin D is also present in pastured lard.

I really like how Dr. Miller concludes:

Avoid sugar. It suppresses immunity. Avoid Omega-6 vegetable oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, canola, and soybean oil). Americans consume 50 times more of these oils than are necessary for good health. In this amount they are powerful immune suppressants. Take a well-balanced multivitamin/mineral capsule on a daily basis. Eat garlic. Manage stress. Exercise. Get enough rest. And wash your hands. Viruses spread most often from touching contaminated objects, like doorknobs, phones, shared computer keyboards, and shaking hands.

2 comments:

Oh Christina, I love you. These two posts are great--well researched, thoughtful, and so relevant to the times ('tis the season to vaccinate, refuse to vaccinate, and not understand the reasons behind either decision!). Way to support facts with data and give your readers informed options!

About Me

A good ol' American mutt-- born in NM to an Irish-French good ol' Louisiana boy and a Guatemalan beauty, raised in the American South/Central France. Grew up speaking English, Spanish and French (plus the made-up language my sisters & I used; Aion). Thought I'd add to the medley by marrying into a Polish last name. I was hounded by the Lion of Judah, and He's left me desperately, deliciously trying to "grab ahold of the Golden mane" and go where He leads me. Part of that path is currently working out my salvation through the raising of my chubby-cheeked darling, Éowyn Grace. I spend most of my time with pre-schoolers (I teach pre-K) and thinking about music (music education was my major), health (I also was a pre-health student), and God. I also do a considerable amount of dealing with food, having to live with Celiac's disease & a soy intolerance.

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Disclaimer

The posts on this page represent my personal opinion & spin on whatever issues they deal with. I will always try to clearly and succinctly articulate my position, but this does NOT mean that I think other positions have no validity. Like everyone, I try to do what I think is best based on what I see... but everyone sees things differently! Since many of my posts deal with health, parenting & politics, I will add this: please note that I am NOT a specialist (except maybe about myself ;D) and even if I was, each parent must decide what is best for their child(ren) & each citizen must make their own informed political decisions. My goal is to make your job easier by doing some research & explanation leg-work for you. If, after reading & researching on your own, you disagree with any/all of what I say, that's totally fine!!! I will still be your friend. ;) Especially if you bribe me with peanut-butter-dark-chocolate-chunk cookes.